Jalen Duren scored a season-best 27 points and grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds for the Detroit Pistons, who recovered from a 23-point, third-quarter deficit to notch a 128-122 overtime victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
Jaden Ivey put up 26 points and Cade Cunningham added 23 points for the NBA-worst Pistons, who have won consecutive games for the first time since late October. Detroit, which beat the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, has just eight victories all season.
Ivey was a career-best 7 of 7 from 3-point range. Rookie Marcus Sasser had 17 points and a career-high 11 assists for the Pistons.
Jerami Grant scored a career-high 49 points and also had eight rebounds and six assists for Portland, which lost its third straight game. Anfernee Simons scored 29 points in 25 minutes but missed the final 22 minutes due to a sprained left ankle.
Jabari Walker had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Kris Murray added 12 points for the Trail Blazers, who scored the first basket of overtime and never tallied again.
Sasser swished a 3-pointer to give Detroit a 124-122 edge with 3:08 left in overtime — the Pistons’ first lead since 18-17 in the first quarter. Duren added a putback dunk with 1:47 left and Ausar Thompson had a basket 23 seconds later as Detroit closed it out.
The Pistons used just nine players after being highly active prior to the Thursday trade deadline.
The Trail Blazers played without Deandre Ayton (illness), Malcolm Brogdon (illness) and Scoot Henderson (foot).
Portland shot 46.1 percent from the field, including 11 of 30 (36.7 percent) from 3-point range.
Stanley Umude added 14 points for the Pistons, who made 48.4 percent of their shots but were a stellar 16 of 27 (59.3 percent) from behind the arc.
Detroit trailed 92-69 with 4:59 left in the third quarter before pulling within single digits in the fourth quarter and eventually tying the game.
Duren recorded three straight baskets as Detroit cut its deficit to 113-111 with 3:06 left.
Sasser made a 3-pointer to pull Detroit within 118-116 with 1:29 remaining.
Grant sank two free throws with 1:11 left to make it 120-116, but Cunningham hit a turnaround jumper for the Pistons with 53.5 seconds remaining. Thompson slammed home a dunk with 21.3 seconds left to tie it at 120.
Grant scored 23 first-half points to lead Portland to a 71-56 halftime lead. Duren had 14 in the half for Detroit.
–Field Level Media